Lynne Featherstone

The Government’s promise, that it would close a loophole in our law so that in future our citizens will get compensation if blown up in terrorist attacks abroad, has been dropped. This wrong was to have been righted in the Queen’s Speech and would have been included in the Crime and Security Bill.

However, the Ministry of Defence got its knickers in a twist in case Murdoch tried to bring injured soldiers into the same legislation for more compensation for their injuries – albeit the soldiers compensation scheme is certainly a just, but ultimately completely different matter.

I got involved in the original case of Will Pike (his father is my constituent) who was dreadfully injured in the Mumbai terror attacks where those with British passports were targeted. Will was dreadfully injured and will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. We thought we had victory with this wrong - a very cheap wrong to right at around £4million for all those who might claim from Mumbai and other attacks on our citizens abroad – finally about to be righted. Suddenly Gordon Brown changed his mind and did a complete U-turn.

Downing Street is now faffing around claiming that the ‘delay’ is indeed because of some concerns raised by the Ministry of Defence. Where’s the Government’s moral fibre? Where’s their gumption? You wonder what happened to an Englishman’s word being his bond – doncha?